Juan Mata has confirmed that Manchester United midfielder has left Old Trafford and returned to his native Brazil.

The 26-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season and in the last few seasons he has seen his first team appearances being limited. The season, the midfielder has made only one league appearance, which came from the substitutes bench.

The Manchester Evening News reported that Anderson in South America to complete his proposed move to Internacional on the deadline day.

“Also, I want to wish good luck to my friend Anderson, who is back to football in his native Brazil. All the best, my friend!” Mata wrote in his weekly blog on Monday.

Meanwhile, United take on Cambridge United in the replay of the fourth round FA Cup clash at Old Trafford on Tuesday. The last time these two teams met saw the match end in a goalless draw last month.

The former Chelsea star is hopeful that his side can start February with a win after sealing a 3-1 victory over Leicester City at Old Trafford in the league clash on Saturday. Mata did not feature for United as Adnan Januzaj was preferred by Louis van Gaal ahead of him.

“A very cold Sunday has been the end to a week that leaves a good win at home, but there is no time for celebrations as this very Tuesday we have the FA Cup replay against Cambridge. We want to make it to the next round and we are absolutely focused on that because, as I said before, the team is very excited about this competition,” the Spain international said.

“Against Leicester we were able to take our good chances in the first half, and that allowed us to have a quiet game and to enjoy it more than other weeks. We don’t want to relax though. Every game is complicated: see what happened to Bayern after the Bundesliga break.

“In sports, having respect for your opponent is a must. Even more in football, where distances have shortened. That is something we are aware of ahead of our game against Cambridge. Not long ago they proved to be a tough rival.

“A few days later, on Sunday, we will play at West Ham. There is no time for a break. At this stage of the season we need to be more consistent than ever in order to retain the third spot and to approach the teams in the top two,” Mata concluded.